Our Democratic Senate nominees working to flip OPEN seats:
North Carolina, Texas, & Iowa
To win back the Senate majority, we need to defend our current seats and flip FOUR more! With fantastic candidates running across the map, we are highlighting just a few today running in states with OPEN SENATE SEATS. We have great candidates running in North Carolina, Texas, and Iowa!
North Carolina: Governor Roy Cooper
A LIFELONG PUBLIC SERVANT
Born and raised in Nash County, North Carolina, Roy Cooper is a lifelong public servant for the Tar Heel State. He has served in the state legislature, as Attorney General, and as Governor of North Carolina. Now, he’s running for Senate to keep fighting for North Carolinians, this time taking the fight to Washington for working families.
MAKE STUFF COST LESS
To put it simply, Roy Cooper is running for Senate to “Make Stuff Cost Less” for North Carolinians. From childcare to groceries, medical bills to housing, working families face rising costs across the board -- and Cooper is fighting to fix that.
STATUS OF THE RACE:
Roy Cooper is up against Michael Whatley, the former chair of the Republican National Committee who is seriously out of touch with the realities North Carolinians are facing. Whatley has said that “costs are coming down” when they were in fact rising, has spent his entire career schmoozing with billionaires as a DC insider and Big Oil lobbyist, and even pushed for the GOP bill that spiked healthcare costs -- all while advocating for policies that will boost his own stock portfolio. Whatley has not fought for working families in the past, and he cannot be trusted to do so going forward.
Roy Cooper is polling ahead of Whatley right now, but we can’t take our foot off the gas. If you want to help elect Roy Cooper and help flip the Senate, make a split contribution to his campaign and the DSCC here:
https://secure.actblue.com/donate/dscc-and-cooper-2026
Texas: State Senator James Talarico
THE “TERRIFIC” TALARICO
As an eighth-generation Texan and former middle school teacher, James doesn’t scare easily -- in fact, he’s ready to go up against mega-donors and their dark money in politics to make our government work for us again. In the Texas state legislature, he’s worked to deliver lower prescription drug costs, funding for neighborhood schools, and expanded job opportunities for young adults. He’s led the fight against corruption and billionaires rigging the system in Texas, and he will bring this fight to Washington to “start flipping tables” of injustice and take back power for working people. It’s no wonder that even President Obama thinks James is “terrific.”
SCANDAL-PLAGUED OPPONENT
James Talarico is up against crooked Ken Paxton, a corrupt, self-serving politician whose own party tried to remove from office. Even Senate Republicans’ campaign arm called Paxton “repulsive and disgusting” and said that “a lot of people who trust Ken Paxton “get lied to” in now-deleted statements.
WHY WE MUST ELECT TALARICO
Flipping Texas would change the game for us, and James has put in the work to make it happen. He’s traveled across the Lone Star State to meet Texans where they are at, and momentum is building. After Paxton became the Republican nominee in Texas, The Cook Political Report shifted its rating for this seat toward Democrats! Now, Talarico holds a tight lead over Paxton because Texans know they can’t trust Crooked Ken Paxton.
If you’re ready to join this campaign of hope, make a split contribution to James Talarico’s campaign and the DSCC to flip Texas and take back the Senate! Donate here:
https://secure.actblue.com/donate/dscc-and-talarico-2026
Iowa: State Representative Josh Turek
THE PARALYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST WHO GETS STUFF DONE.
After representing Team USA at four Paralympics and winning gold twice, Josh Turek returned to his hometown to represent Council Bluffs in the Iowa state legislature. Josh is a highly effective legislator who gets stuff done: He has worked to alleviate economic pressures for cash-strapped Iowans and reform the broken healthcare system in the state.
SHIFTS IN THE RACE
After Josh Turek won the Democratic nomination in the Iowa primary, The Cook Political Report and Sabato’s Crystal Ball, two top election forecasters, shifted this Senate race toward Democrats! And a recent poll found that Turek is statistically tied with his opponent, Ashley Hinson. That means everything we do right now will have a major impact on Turek’s campaign to win this Senate seat!
SELF-SERVING OPPONENT
Ashley Hinson has increased her wealth by up to $7 million while serving as a GOP representative in Washington, all while Iowans are struggling to afford their basic needs thanks in large part to Hinson backing a toxic GOP agenda. While Hinson is a self-serving politician only looking out for herself, Josh is fighting to rebuild the American Dream for the families of the Hawkeye State.
This is a generational opportunity to change Iowa’s future, and a critical state in our fight for the Senate majority. The best time to make the biggest impact in this race is right now: Make a split donation to Josh Turek’s campaign and the DSCC to flip Iowa’s Senate seat and win back the Senate majority >>
https://secure.actblue.com/donate/dscc-and-turek-2026
Crucial Open Seats for Winning Back the Majority
With the help and hard work of grassroots supporters across the country, we have created a path to the Senate majority: We have strong candidates, a winning message, and formidable campaigns. North Carolina, Texas, and Iowa are key flip opportunities and open seats we could win! With Democratic support surging across the country, we are now in a strong position to flip the Senate, but with Election Day fast approaching, we have to dig deep and make sure we’re ready to fight all the way to the end.
If you want to help make sure we’re fueled and ready for the fight from now until November, donate directly to the DSCC here to support our work across the map, or make a split donation to the DSCC and one of our candidates below!
DSCC and Roy Cooper (NC): https://secure.actblue.com/donate/dscc-and-cooper-2026
DSCC and James Talarico (TX): https://secure.actblue.com/donate/dscc-and-talarico-2026
DSCC and Josh Turek (IA): https://secure.actblue.com/donate/dscc-and-turek-2026
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– Team DSCC
A personal message from Devan, DSCC Executive Director:
Thank you for taking the time to check out our Substack! It’s grassroots supporters like you that fuel our fight to flip the Senate.
The DSCC is the only committee solely dedicated to flipping the Senate blue, which is why it’s so important that we have the resources we need to achieve our mission.
Your support allows us to hold our out-of-touch Republican opponents accountable and put a check on Trump’s out-of-control power. As Executive Director, I can personally assure you your donation will be put to good use.
If you want to make a difference today, chip in below. I am incredibly grateful for your support.
- Devan








